2005 Annual Report 1.What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? What does it matter? The primary method for disposal of agricultural waste products is application to soil, but management practices for these waste products have a major effect on soil productivity by impacting soil chemical, physical, and microbiological characteristics. The quality of water that flows or drains from soil is also affected by waste management. Because excessive repeated application of manures to agricultural land can potentially lead to soil nutrient imbalances, there is an immediate need to develop waste management systems that preserve and improve the soil resource while providing for environmental quality. The objectives of this project are to:. 1)Develop soil phosphorus loading capabilities, following application of animal manure, for soils of the Southeastern United States with differing chemical and physical characteristics;. 2)Determine the impact of long-term application of poultry litter and other organic waste on soil quality in the Southeastern United States;. 3)Develop best management practices for manure application to row crops (corn and cotton) that maximize production while minimizing offsite environmental impacts in the Southeastern United States;. 4) Develop improved knowledge of waste management impacts on manure-derived nutrient interactions (phosphorus solubility and nitrogen mineralization) at the soil surface; and. 5)Develop and assess performance of equipment for applying poultry litter in a shallow subsurface bands in pastures and row crops. Poor fertilizer application practices (both inorganic and organic) can lead to nutrient loss from agricultural land by runoff and leaching. The greatest potential for non-point P contribution to surface waters usually occurs in watersheds with intensive animal production. Non-point source pollution from agriculture has been identified as the leading source of water quality reduction by the USEPA, with estimates that agriculture causes the degradation of 60% of river miles, 50% of lake acres, and 34% of estuary acres. These non-point source nutrient losses can contribute to environmental degradation, eutrophication of surface waters, and possible human health risks. For example, massive algal blooms in surface waters from excess nutrients can lead to summer fish kills and unpalatable drinking water, while human health concerns arise from direct contact with blooms of toxic dinoflagellate algae (Pfiesteria piscicidia), and from the formation of carcinogenic trihalomethanes during water chlorination. In addition, a large (20,000 km2) hypoxic area (low dissolved oxygen) in the Gulf of Mexico has been attributed to pollution from nutrients. Livestock production is the leading agriculture industry in the state of Alabama, with over 2.7 billion dollars in cash receipts in 2003. Broiler production alone accounted for over 40% of the state’s agriculture cash receipts (1.84 billion dollars) in 2003, but also produced approximately 1.4 million tons of litter in that year. Manure collected from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) has traditionally been applied to fields near the operation because this is a practical means of both improving soil physical conditions and providing plant nutrients for crop and pasture production. However, long-term manure application to soils at rates exceeding plant uptake can result in elevated soil P levels and directly influence the amount of P found in runoff. 2.List the milestones (indicators of progress) from your Project Plan. Year 1 (FY 2006) Study of the potential benefit of amendments to reduce P runoff losses will be completed. Establish new treatments for long-term manure application study. Use the single-trench poultry litter applicator implement in cooperative research projects with ARS units from Mississippi State, MS, Bowling Green, KY, and Booneville, AR. Year 2 (FY 2007) Study of long-term effects on soil quality parameters from first 10 years of manure application will be completed. Study of the soil test P and runoff P in calcareous soils rainfall simulation will be completed. Study of soil quality and plant establishment on Army training grounds will be completed. Use the single-trench poultry litter applicator implement in cooperative research projects with ARS units from Mississippi State, MS, Bowling Green, KY, and Booneville, AR. Develop a four-trench poultry litter applicator implement in conjunction with the industry partner and evaluate performance of the applicator through field experiments. Year 3 (FY 2008) Study of the manure N mineralization will be completed. Use the single-trench poultry litter applicator implement in cooperative research projects with ARS units from Mississippi State, MS, Bowling Green, KY, and Booneville, AR. Year 4 (FY 2009) Study of field variability impact on soil P chemistry will be completed. Use the single-trench poultry litter applicator implement in cooperative research projects with ARS units from Mississippi State, MS, Bowling Green, KY, and Booneville, AR. Develop an eight-trench poultry litter applicator implement and bulk litter hopper jointly with the industry partner and evaluate performance of the system through cooperative field experiments. Year 5 (FY 2010) Study of long-term effects on soil quality parameters after 5 years of altered treatment will be completed. Use the single-trench poultry litter applicator implement in cooperative research projects with ARS units from Mississippi State, MS, Bowling Green, KY, and Booneville, AR. 4a.What was the single most significant accomplishment this past year? Because of this growing environmental concern regarding organic waste disposal, field and laboratory studies were established to develop improved methods to utilize waste products for soil and crop benefits while minimizing environmental degradation. We have initiated a series of field and greenhouse rainfall simulation studies to evaluate some P index criteria in cultivated agriculture as related to runoff nutrient losses, and to evaluate the potential benefit of chemical amendments to manure and soil on reducing P losses; as well as collecting soil samples from long term manure application and tillage system studies. Water and soil samples were collected for analysis from these studies. Results indicate that a reduction in nutrient losses could be achieved with manure incorporation, but increased soil slope did not impact the level of runoff nutrient losses. Also, the addition of chemical amendments of iron sulfate may greatly reduce the losses of P from manure applied to grass fields. 4b.List other significant accomplishments, if any. Broiler production in the U.S. generates a large amount of manure but optimal use of this nutrient-rich manure is limited because field equipment designed for applying manure in row crop canopies and in shallow trenches in pastures has not been developed. A single-trench tractor-drawn broiler litter applicator that had been designed and constructed at the USDA-ARS National Soil Dynamics Laboratory in Auburn, AL, was used in field experiments in conjunction with the USDA-ARS Waste Management and Forage Research Unit at Mississippi State, MS, the USDA-ARS Animal Waste Management Research Unit at Bowling Green, KY, and Western Kentucky University. Results in a pasture experiment have shown considerable reductions in the phosphorus concentration in runoff from the subsurface band-applied plots established using this applicator, when compared with plots on which broiler litter was broadcast-applied on the surface. 4c.List any significant activities that support special target populations. None. 4d.Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under an agreement between ARS and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent research project 6420-12000-006-00D, Utilization of Organic Waste to Improve Agricultural Systems and Environmental Quality. The costs to the US Army for handling, management, and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste are significant and are expected to increase further over the next 10 years. The Army generated 2.7 million tons of solid waste in FY 97 at a total disposal cost of $116M, which represents 2.5% of the total amount spent to operate and maintain all Army facilities. Of the 2.7 million tons generated, only 94,000 tons were recycled or reused to reduce disposal costs. One particularly exciting process from an Army MSW perspective involves a thermodynamic breaking of the molecular bonds of the organic, nonmetallic materials found in common household garbage. When hydrolysis is complete, the end product is an “aggregate cellulose pulp” that may be useful as a soil amendment. The US Army often has large areas that have been damaged due to extensive army training. Damaged training lands in need of rehabilitation often lack sufficient topsoil, organic matter, and nutrients necessary for successful revegetation. Overcoming these limitations frequently requires removing the physical and chemical constraints to plant establishment and growth. The objectives of these projects were to evaluate the potential of using the cellulose pulp as a soil amendment on these damaged training grounds. Studies were initiated at Fort Campbell, KY, and Fort Benning, GA, to evaluate the end product as a soil amendment for improving soil quality, plant growth, and revegetation success on training lands. Preliminary results indicates that the “aggregate cellulose pulp” has been helpful in revegetating the damaged army training grounds. 5.Describe the major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact. Because of this growing environmental concern regarding organic waste disposal, field and laboratory studies were established to develop improved methods to utilize waste products for soil and crop benefits while minimizing environmental degradation. We have initiated a series of field and greenhouse rainfall simulation studies to evaluate some P index criteria in cultivated agriculture as related to runoff nutrient losses, and to evaluate the potential benefit of chemical amendments to manure and soil on reducing P losses; as well as collecting soil samples from long term manure application and tillage system studies. Water and soil samples were collected for analysis from these studies. Preliminary results indicate that a reduction in nutrient losses could be achieved with manure incorporation, but increased soil slope did not impact the level of runoff nutrient losses. Also, the addition of chemical amendments of iron sulfate may greatly reduce the losses of P from manure applied to grass fields. A one-row applicator for applying broiler litter in a shallow trench in soil was developed. The applicator is expected to be extremely useful in applying broiler litter in row crops and pastures, thereby allowing the nutrient-rich litter to be used beneficially on more crop land and pasture land while minimizing the potential for nutrients in the litter to adversely affect water quality. 6.What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end-user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? Working with a local farmer a device has been developed called the “Forward Residue Mover” for use on no-till planters to help prevent standing residue from clogging the planting mechanism. Information has been distributed to individuals as requested. (ARS patent was not pursued because it was deemed that the patent would not be defendable from patent infringement.) A four-trench broiler litter applicator is likely to be available to farmers within the next two years and a eight-trench broiler litter applicator is likely to be available to farmers within the next four years. Data sets and interpretation have been provided to researchers in the public and private sectors. Descriptions and implications of our research projects have been provided to various individuals and groups visiting the National Soil Dynamics Laboratory. Presentations of research finding have been made to various groups. 7.List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. (NOTE: List your peer reviewed publications below). Information was distributed in an ARS news release regarding the “Forward Residue Mover” for conservation tillage planting. Articles have been published in a wide variety of places, such as a NRCS conservation tillage newsletter in North Carolina, the Michigan Farm News, Soybean Digest, and The Cultivator (Alabama Farmers Federation newsletter). The story has been posted on the Alabama Extension web site, and Dr. Torbert was interviewed by Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation Daily radio show, Tenn. Radio Network. Articles have also appeared in Progressive Farmer, and Neighbors. Dr. Torbert provided information to ARS Information Staff on cooperative work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory on municipal waste management. The waste management research was highlighted in an ARS news release and in an article entitled “From Trash To Grass - Revegetating Army Training Grounds” in the July, 2004 issue of USDA-ARS’s magazine, Agricultural Research. An article appeared in the magazine Ag Professional, October 2003, p. 18-22. The article was a rewrite in laymen's terms of a scientific article entitled “Relationship of soil test phosphorus to runoff phosphorus in calcareous soils” by Torbert, H.A., T.C. Daniel, J.L. Lemunyon, and R.M. Jones. The article was also converted into a test, which could be taken by the magazine’s readers for continuing educational unit (CEU) credit. Dr. Torbert was invited to speak at the Certified Crop Advisors Continuing Education meeting and made presentation entitled “Animal Waste, P Index, and Other Water Quality Issues”Auburn, AL, January 7, 2005. Dr. Torbert was invited to talk to the Alabama Farmers Federation Poultry Division Executive Committee regarding waste management research at the National Soil Dynamics Laboratory. Montgomery, AL, January 13, 2005. Dr. Torbert was invited to speak at the Alabama Farmers Federation Commodity Organizational Meeting, Poultry Division and make presentation “Waste Management Research at the National Soil Dynamics Laboratory”, Birmingham, AL, February 2, 2005. Waste management research was highlighted in an article entitled “Beating MSW into a Soil-Improving Pulp”. BioCycle p. 6-7 August 2004. The article “Harmel, R.D., H.A. Torbert, B.E. Haggard, R. Haney, and M. Dozier. 2004. Water Quality Impacts of Converting to a Poultry Litter Fertilization Strategy. J. of Environ. Qual. 33:2229-2242” was selected for use in the ASA-CSA-SSSA Technology Transfer Program. Review Publications Armstrong, S.D., Taylor, R.W., Tewolde, H., Rowe, D.E., Way, T., Sistani, K. 2005. Comparison of broadcast and band application of poultry litter on cotton [abstract]. Proceedings National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. p. 2613. Jun, H., Way, T.R., Lofgren, B., Landstrom, M., Bailey, A.C., Burt, E.C., Mcdonald, T.P. 2004. Dynamic load and inflation pressure effects on contact pressures of a forestry forwarder tire. American Society of Agricultural Engineers Meetings Papers. 41(4):209-222. Way, T.R., Erbach, D.C., Bailey, A.C., Burt, E.C., Johnson, C.E. 2005. Soil displacement beneath an agricultural tractor drive tire. Soil Dynamics International Conference Proceedings. 42(1):35-46. Harmel, R.D., Torbert, H.A., Haggard, B.E., Haney, R., Dozier, M. 2004. Water quality impacts of converting to a poultry litter fertilization strategy. Journal of Environmental Quality. 33(6):2229-2242. Torbert III, H.A., Harmel, R.D., Potter, K.N., Dozier, M. 2005. Evaluation of some phosphorus index criteria in cultivated agriculture in clay soils. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 60(1):21-29. Harmel, R.D., Torbert III, H.A., Delaune, P.B., Haggard, B.E., Haney, R.L. 2005. Field evaluation of three phosphorus indices on new application sites in Texas. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Society. 60(1):29-42. Torbert III, H.A., King, K.W., Harmel, R.D. 2005. Impact of soil amendments on reducing p losses from runoff in sod. Journal of Environmental Quality. 34:1415-1421. Honeycutt, C.W., Griffin, T.S., Wienhold, B.J., Eghball, B., Albrecht, S.L., Powell, J.M., Woodbury, B.L., Sistani, K.R., Hubbard, R.K., Torbert III, H.A., Eigenberg, R.A., Wright, R.J., Jawson, M.D., He, Z. 2005. Protocols for nationally coordinated laboratory and field research on manure nitrogen mineralization. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 36: 2807-2822. Torbert III, H.A., Gerik, T.J., Harman, W.L., Williams, J.R., Steglich, E. 2005. Alabama cropman: a user friendly interface for crop production simulations. In: Busscher, W., Frederick, J. and Robinson S., editors. The Science of Conservation Tillage: Continuing the Discoveries, Proceedings of the 27th Annual Southern Conservation Tillage Conference for Sustainable Agriculture, June 27-29, 2005, Florence, South Carolina. p. 203-210. Watts, D.B., Torbert III, H.A. 2004. Mineralization of nitrogen in soils under different temperature and wetting/drying regimes. [abstract] American Society of Agronomy Branch Meeting. CDROM Torbert III, H.A., King, K.W., Harmel, R.D. 2004. Potential of some soil amendments on reducing soluble p losses from manure. [abstract] American Society of Agronomy Meetings. 2004 CDROM Watts, D.B., Torbert III, H.A., Prior, S.A. 2004. Mineralization of N in soils amended with dairy manure as affected by wetting/drying cycles. [abstract] American Society of Agronomy Meetings. 2004 CDROM Busby, R.R., Gebhart, D.L., Torbert III, H.A., Potter, K.N. 2004. Garbage byproduct increases native grass establishment and productivity. [abstract]American Society of Agronomy Meetings. 2004 CDROM Torbert III, H.A., Busby, R., Gebhart, D., Potter, K.N. 2005. Initial evaluation of a garbage reduction technology byproduct on soil [abstract]. Southern Branch Agronomy Abstracts. 2005 CDROM.